Pleiotropy of quantitative trait loci for organ weights and limb bone lengths in mice

We investigated the genetic basis of several limb bone lengths and weights of organs in mice produced from a cross of the F1 between CAST/Ei (wild strain) and M16i (selected for rapid growth rate) back to M16i. From previous correlation studies, we hypothesized that quantitative trait loci (QTLs) would exhibit greater pleiotropy within than between the limb length and organ weight character sets. Using interval mapping procedures and significance testing at the chromosome-wise level, we discovered 14 putative QTLs affecting weight of the liver, spleen, heart, and/or kidney, 9 of which affected more than one organ; and 12 QTLs for limb lengths, all of which affected the length of two or more of the limb bones in these mice. As was hypothesized, most QTLs affected either organ weights or limb lengths independently of each other, although five QTLs were found that affected both sets of characters. The direction of the effect of these QTLs was almost always consistent within and between characters, with little evidence for antagonistic pleiotropy.